Monday, June 27, 2011

Lulz Security, the group that claims to have been behind the massive computer hacks suffered by Nintendo, Sony, some FBI affiliates and the U.S. Senate, has announced it is disbanding. Known primarily as Lulzsec, the group has been on what they are referring to as a "50-day cruise" of hacking everything it could, whether the sites were government, corporate or public-related.

Lulzsec began its reign over the Internet in May, compromising the account of some 77 million Sony PlayStation Network users. Its last hack, completed over the weekend, allegedly exposed information from a variety of groups, including the FBI and AOL. This was according to one of the group's members, who spoke with the Associated Press after the announcement on Twitter that Lulzsec was no more.

Both the "official" statement by Lulzsec and the interview with the group member reiterates the hackers' claims that their "hacktivism" was merely recreational. According to them, the undertaking was begun due to the "raw, uninterrupted, chaotic thrill of entertainment and anarchy."

Some questioned the timing of the announcement to disband, citing the arrest at the beginning of last week of 19-year-old Ryan Cleary in the U.K. Cleary has been charged with compromising a national police website and officials have let it be known they believe Cleary's computer may lead them to some of the other members of Lulzsec as well, since Cleary is allegedly a part of both that hacking group and another one known as Anonymous.

Despite the perception of increased pressure by international policing organizations, the Lulzsec member who spoke to the Associated Press insisted the group members had merely gotten "bored." Another member of Lulzsec, known as Sabu, took to Twitter to say that many of the members had simply moved on to other groups, like Anonymous, to continue their activities.

Earlier in the month, Lulzsec had posted a phone number online where people could call in and leave suggestions as to just what or who the group should hack next. The line received 5,000 calls and logged 2,500 voicemails on its very first day of operation. The group also posted an online poll where people could weigh in with their opinions on Lulzec's activities.

"Fragmentation" is a word people use to mean this: There are a lot of different Android phones out there. It's confusing for buyers, because they don't know what kind of phone to get. And it's frustrating for app developers, because it's hard to write apps that work on all of them. Especially now that thanks to the Amazon Appstore, there are even multiple app markets for Android.

"So what?" you ask. "How does that affect the iPhone? We don't have to deal with stuff like apps that don't work on our phones. Like when Angry Birds Rio came out; we just got it from the App Store like always, while Android owners had to use Amazon. Are you saying we have to deal with that now, too?"

Actually ... yes.

Android exclusives

John Gruber of the Daring Fireball blog asked "Where Are the Android Killer Apps?", and noted that basically the only apps that were exclusive to Android were the ones that wouldn't work on the iPhone. The biggest reason, of course, was money: With app developers making more money from Apple's App Store, seemingly the only people who wrote apps for Android were large corporations and hobbyists.

"Well, that's just a fluke," you say. "It's because Apple won't let game companies do limited betas, where you need an exclusive key in order to play it. As soon as the game's fully tested, it'll be in the App Store too."

This is probably true, because game companies these days can't afford to ignore the iPhone. But what if their iPhone games aren't in the iTunes App Store?

Apple has always maintained a separate "app store" for web apps, which are basically websites that run on your iPhone. But they aren't like normal websites; they can have their own homescreen icons, and some of them can even run offline and save data to your iPhone.

It's true that they don't provide the best experience right now. But Facebook's "Project Spartan" appears to be its own take on a web app store for your iPhone, and Facebook has a lot of experience with the whole "app store" thing itself. If anyone can make web apps work on the iPhone, it would be Facebook, and it's questionable whether or not Apple would be able to do anything to stop them.

That's fragmentation: Multiple app stores, multiple ways to get apps, multiple confusing choices. But is it a bad thing?

Strength in diversity

Here's my take on it. When you've got "analysis paralysis," and aren't sure what to do, having too many choices is bad. And when all that "choice" amounts to is what color your generic-brand iPad clone will be, it's pointless.

But when it leads to something spectacular being created -- something like the Nook Color, that might never have existed without Google's open-source Android programming code -- that makes all the rest of the junk worth it. And if "app store fragmentation" will mean that you get to use Facebook apps on your iPhone that you wouldn't be able to otherwise, then hey, why not?

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

The Motorola Triumph will have a 1-gigahertz single-core processor and 512 MB of RAM, making it roughly equivalent to a high-end Android smartphone from 2010 like the HTC Evo. It will have a 4.1 inch screen, much larger than the iPhone 4's and closer to other large Android smartphones'. And it will only have 2 GB of internal storage, but will support up to 32 GB of additional memory through its MicroSD slot -- so if you already have a fingernail-sized memory card from another phone, just plug it in and you're good to go.

The Triumph will run Android 2.2 "Froyo," a recent version of Android that's basically par for the course for a modern smartphone, with minimal carrier branding or customization. (That means fewer non-uninstallable "trashware" apps than usual.) It will also have advanced multimedia capabilities, like a 5-megapixel camera that can record 720p video, plus a front-facing camera for video chat. Finally, an HDMI out port will let you plug it in to your HDTV so you can watch videos on the big screen.

So what's the catch?

The Motorola Triumph is a prepaid smartphone, meaning you don't sign up for a two-year contract with it. Because of that, you have to pay the phone's full cost up front, and it's pretty hefty at $299.

On the plus side, though, not only do you not sign a contract, but you can get unlimited data and texting for $25 a month. Virgin Mobile's basic "Beyond Talk" plan also includes 300 voice minutes per month, and its $40 per month plan includes 1200 minutes. ($60 a month gets you unlimited everything, period.) And did I mention there's no 2-year contract?

The Upshot

Virgin Mobile is easily the cheapest of the prepaid mobile carriers, like MetroPCS and Cricket, and it uses Sprint's network to boot. But up until now -- well, until June 17, anyway -- there's been no standout Android smartphone on its network. The LG Optimus V is Virgin's flagship phone at the moment, and it costs half as much as the Triumph but has decidedly low-end specs.

The Motorola Triumph just might be the phone you've been waiting for, if you want a decent smartphone without a 2-year contract. And it'll cost more than more powerful phones will up-front, but the cheaper, contract-free wireless plans might make it worth it.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Faster, better, cheaper: Pick any two. Archos seems to have chosen better and cheaper for its upcoming "G9" Android tablets, where "better" means "more powerful" and "more storage space." But will that make either of them a better choice than the iPad 2?

The specs, and what they mean

The Archos G9 will come in two flavors, the 8-inch and the 10.1-inch. Both will have a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, which may make them more powerful than similarly-priced PC laptops. These are Android tablets, though, so you're not going to be running PC apps on them.

What will you be using them for? Archos' pedigree involves making media players, and the G9 tablets are designed for heavy-duty HD video watching. Both can supposedly play 1080p video without breaking a sweat, unlike the iPad 2 (which doesn't even have a 1080p display), and will be able to output it through their HDMI ports without needing a special adapter.

Oh, and those videos? A 16 GB iPad 2 can hold about half a dozen 720p HD movies, depending on filesize, and that's if you don't put any music on it or take any pictures with it. The Archos G9 Android tablets will have 250 GB hard drives, letting them hold up to 40 movies in full 1080p.

Not so good with the "apps" thing

The G9s' biggest downside may be in the apps department. First off, the Android Market doesn't have nearly as many tablet-specific apps as the App Store does. And no, the G9s won't be able to run the 65,000 iPad apps; only an iPad can do that.

Second, app loading times. Think of how long it takes for an app or game to load on your smartphone. Well, the bottleneck isn't processor speed; it's how fast it can load the data off of whatever it's stored on. And the flash memory used by the iPad (and most smartphones and memory cards) is a heck of a lot faster than your laptop's hard drive.

The Archos G9s will be using hard drives instead of flash memory. So while it may be too early to tell, it's probably a safe bet that games and apps will take longer to load than on other tablets.

More downsides to the tablet

Another thing to consider is that Archos has never been known for its devices' quality. Power? Yes. Screen size? You betcha. But build quality and ease of use? Not really. They're harder to quantify, but they can be the difference between a tablet you love and a cheap piece of junk that won't do what you want it to.

Archos' previous devices had their fans, but they didn't have Android Market access and tended to have resistive touch screens; Nintendo DS-style single-touch screens that you used with a fingernail or a stylus. Neither of these design decisions screamed "quality."

The promo video for the G9s shows that they'll have capacitive, iPad-style multitouch screens, though, while Archos' press release promises Android Market access. So maybe Archos has learned its lesson. But with prices as low as $349 for the 10-inch tablet, and $279 for the 8-inch model, one has to wonder what design tradeoffs were made.

More details

Neither tablet will ship with 3G capability, but 3G wireless Internet access can be added via a $49 adapter and a pay-as-you-go plan. The tablets will be available at the end of September.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

Friday, June 24, 2011

COMMENTARY |Reuters reports that a cell phone recovered during the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound included contact numbers for members of Harkat-ul-Majahideen. For years, there have been rumors of ties between Harkat-ul-Majahideen and the Pakistani government intelligence system. This opens up an interesting can of worms for the United States.

Harkat-ul-Majahideen is a group that has been known for kidnapping, assassinations and the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814. President George Bush considered them a threat back in 2001, though they still operate to this day. If direct connections can be made between HUM and bin Laden outside of the phone numbers, the United States would find itself in yet another Catch-22 in the Middle East.

On one hand, we know that the United States military wants to do whatever it can to snuff out every possible terrorist cell that it stumbles upon. If members of Harkat-ul-Majahideen assisted in hiding bin Laden, the military is going to want to set the group in their sites. It would have to be assumed that if members of the group knew where bin Laden was hiding, they might have information on other terrorist leaders. This would make them a prime target.

As I mentioned earlier, Harkat-ul-Majahideen has supposedly held relations with the ISI. This is the Pakistani top intelligence agency. This agency is one of the groups that was offended the most when the attack was made by the military on the bin Laden compound without notification. The United States government has made it clear that it wants to ensure that the relations with Pakistan are strengthened, not disturbed by military activity.

It would come down to two options. If the military and CIA do what it can to snuff out Harkat-ul-Majahideen it will run the risk of placing another strain on the relationship with Pakistan. If the relationship with Pakistan is primary, the military might risk losing critical information to assist with the War on Terror and lose the chance of eliminating another potential threat.

With the recent track record in Pakistan, I would expect at least one event to happen in connection with Harkat-ul-Majahideen. I would expect any informants or potential informants to be arrested. Remember, this is the country that states that it is tough on terrorism but will arrest people for doing their part.

The Droid series is Verizon's flagship line of Android smartphones. And while Verizon has introduced a whole slew of alternate Droid models, like the Droid Pro and HTC's Droid Incredible, the premiere Droid itself has seen only one direct sequel: the Droid 2.

The Droid 3 is apparently returning to the phone's roots. It's made by Motorola, the same company that made the original Droid and Droid 2, and it looks like a sleek, stylish version of the original Droid. It'll even have the first Droid's slide-out hardware keyboard (although it hopefully won't have the first Droid's battery cover problem).

Added on are a front-facing camera for video chat and an HDMI port for outputting video to an HDTV. Perhaps, unfortunately, missing is the small touchpad that used to let you position the cursor for editing text.

Does it live up to the original?

The bad news about the Droid 3 is its "puny amount of RAM" and its Pentile qHD display. As the Android Police blog explains, the new display looks extremely fuzzy, displaying yellow and green colors improperly. And while it's got more RAM than my HTC Aria, that's not saying much; the Droid 3's 512 MB is distinctly "2010-esque," and may slow down your phone when you switch between apps or web pages.

On the bright side

The new dual-core processor is the same kind used in the BlackBerry PlayBook, and absolutely destroys the records set by the last generation of smartphones. Benchmarks show it performing significantly better than last year's Nexus One, Droid X, and the HTC Evo. It will also supposedly be able to take 8 megapixel still photos and record 1080p video.

No pricing data have yet been released, but given that it's a top-tier Android smartphone from Verizon, the Droid 3 will probably cost $199.

And on the down side

If the Droid 3 will release July 7, that will coincide with the introduction of new tiered data plans from Verizon, which will replace the company's old unlimited data plans with limited, much more expensive ones. The $30 that used to get you unlimited data, for instance, will only buy you 2 GB per month afterward. Furthermore, the Droid 3 isn't expected to have 4G LTE capability.

The Upshot

With the iPhone 5 rumored to be on its way, it may be best to wait and see what Apple's new smartphone is like before committing to a Droid 3. And with other Android phones out now with more RAM and better displays, this might be one Droid to pass by.

We don't know for sure what it will be like yet, though. That's the nature of rumors.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

COMMENTARY | As David from 37signals pointed out, "the established wisdom now is that you cannot win without hundreds of thousands of apps" if you're trying to buy or make a new smartphone. That's why companies like Motorola and HTC are playing along with Google to make Android smartphones; they could take the open-source Android code and run with it, but if they're not in Google's good graces, so their customers don't get to buy apps from the Android Market.

What does matter, anyway? To Google, to HTC, and to you as a smartphone buyer?

Core experience

The biggest reason the iPhone does so well is because Apple nailed the experience on it. And by "experience," I don't mean it has glossy buttons. I mean the way it feels, the way it works, and the way you can Get Stuff Done on an iPhone without feeling like you're fighting it. My HTC Aria, for instance, often lags a second behind my swiping through home screens, but the iPhone tends to be perfectly responsive.

As David put it, "Ten apps is [sic] all I need," and he described the core Apple apps like Safari and Mail as "the ones that made me buy the phone and stick with it." In my case, I use Google's apps extensively, and I like Android's minimalist feel. But you might discover you like Palm's WebOS, or even Microsoft's Windows Phone 7, better than either Android or the iPhone. Have you tried them?

Lock-in

It's true that neither WebOS nor Windows Phone 7 has the same number of apps that Android phones have. But the thing is, there's a certain element of serendipity involved in finding a new smartphone. You don't really know what a phone will be like until you've had it for awhile, and the features you thought you needed might end up forgotten in days.

A person I was talking to the other day thought it was amazing that the HTC Evo had HDMI output, but ended up barely using it. I have a shelf full of games that I've hardly played, not to mention the apps I've downloaded but never tried out. I went through the phase David describes, where you try tons of apps right after you get your smartphone, but I've basically settled on the ones I like.

I think the purpose apps serve is not really to make a new phone appealing, since you don't know what you'll need until you use it. I think the bigger purpose they serve is to make sure that you buy a new phone from the same company so it can run the same apps.

That's good for you, when it means you can stick with what you like. But it never hurts to try something new every now and then.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The rise of the mobile app has led to a new category of lifestyle business, where indie app developers work alone at home or in small teams. Even hobbyists have been getting on board, as books that teach programming can be easily found at the library or downloaded online. And for a one-time fee of $45, anyone can submit unlimited free or paid apps to the Android Market, Google's online app market for Android smartphones and tablets.

Partly because of this, the huge numbers of apps on the Market -- Google's smartphones have more free apps than Apple's -- don't mean as much as you'd think. A lot of those "apps" are just hobbyist projects and tests, or else ringtones, wallpapers and soundboards. These apps are quickly thrown together, with AdMob advertisements slapped inn in the hopes of making a buck. Meanwhile, even "name-brand" apps like Meebo and Facebook often look worse on Android than on iOS. This is partly because of the time that it takes to make quality apps work on all kinds of Android devices, and partly because these apps are just side projects for companies focused on iPhones and the web.

So what happens when a developer writes a really good, polished Android app?

It stands out and makes money

Just ask Spacetime Studios, the developer of the Pocket Legends MMORPG. Or Noah Bordner, developer of a game called Battleheart. Games and apps like these are the diamonds in the rough, the polished gems that are featured in Google's Android Market. And they're installed by a larger percentage of Android users than iPhone owners, because when there are fewer stand-out games and apps, each one gets noticed more.

Bordner writes that despite the stereotype of all Android apps being free, "there's money to be made through paid apps" like his. And that the revenues for the Android version of his game (also available for iPhone) are "fairly close, within 80%, of it's [sic] iOS counterpart at the moment." Meanwhile, Pocket Legends was released for iPhone first, but is now making more money from Android users. Pocket Legends uses a "freemium" model, where people play for free but buy add-on content and wares.

The downside of writing for Android

Bordner goes on to explain Android's "ugly" side. Thanks to the Unity3d game development kit, it wasn't hard for him to bring his iPhone game to Android. But because of the huge variety of Android devices out there, and the bewildering customizations that individuals and carriers can make to their phones, "download problems effect [sic] 1-2% of all buyers". These are people whose phones should be able to run the game, but who run into problems getting it installed in the first place.

Despite that, though -- or perhaps because of his personalized customer service -- Bordner's game is rated more highly by Android users than iPhone owners. So despite the stereotype that Android phone owners don't care as much about design, it seems like they know a good game or app when they see it.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

COMMENTARY | Roger Ebert and Ryan Dunn had little in common before this week. Although Ebert reviewed Dunn and his Jackass co-stars in their three movies together, there weren't many other reasons to link the two together. As such, when Dunn was killed in a drunk driving accident Monday, the last person expected to cause a controversy about it was the most famous film critic in the world.

Nevertheless, Ebert started a firestorm when he wrote on Twitter that "friends don't let Jackasses drink and drive." By attacking Dunn for his drunk driving just hours after his death, it caused many fans and followers to attack him. What's more, the backlash got so bad on Ebert's Facebook page that it was taken down by the site for a few hours.

However, the critic did not retract his statements or apologize for the timing. Instead, his next Tweet alleged that when Perez Hilton posted about his comments, most of the readers agreed with Ebert's take on the incident. And now that his critics briefly got his Facebook page suspended, he is likely in no further rush to apologize.

Since it has not been officially confirmed that Dunn's crash was the result of drunk driving, Ebert's rush to judgment would appear off. Although most reports are leaning toward drunk driving as the cause, the comments could have been held off until there was official confirmation. After all, Ebert would look even worse if there was another cause found later on.

But if Dunn is found to have been intoxicated enough to have caused the crash, Ebert's commentary would likely have more merit. However, the merit of such inflammatory statements is easier to find days or weeks after someone's death, not hours afterward. In addition, it doesn't help the critic's cause that he used Jackass for a pun, as a fatal car crash is no place to involve puns or tired Jackass jokes.

Yet because of the alleged reports that Dunn was drunk -- and because he posted a photo of himself in a bar hours before the crash, according to TMZ -- Ebert can still defend the actual point of his Tweet. But even if he hadn't made a joke about the late star's show and waited more than a few hours to comment, he would still have come under fire for such a statement. However, it probably wouldn't have started this much of a firestorm if he had waited a while longer.

As fans mourn Dunn and bash Ebert all at once, it is clear that this story has gone beyond being about the death of a celebrity. But will the online war of words continue to overshadow the more serious and tragic aspects in the days ahead?

Monday, June 20, 2011

You reveal a lot with your handshake. Are you extroverted, expressive, shy or neurotic? According to a University of Alabama study, your handshake provides a tactile way to read you. Before you extend your hand during the next social, professional or diplomatic event, consider your own handshake. Do you have a firm grip? Is your hand a comfortable temperature and is it dry? Do you keep eye contact?

Miryam S. Roddy of Brody Communications advises everyone to practices their handshakes on National Handshake Day, occurring on the last Thursday in June annually. Brody Communications offers these tips for an effective handshake:

* Use eye contact

* Be firm but painless

* You should shake hands for about three seconds

* Take only two or three "pumps"

* Start and stop crisply

* Don't last through the entire introduction

National Ice Cream Soda Day

A scoop of ice cream, flavored syrup and milk, (a.k.a. the ice cream soda) dates back to 1876 in Philadelphia, thanks to a shop with an ice cream soda fountain, according to "The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink." Wax nostalgic about soda fountains by watching "Back to the Future," "Pleasantville," or "Grease."

Or make your own with some vanilla ice cream and soda. But be aware, plopping a scoop or two of ice cream in a glass of soda won't create the same foaming effect as re-ordering the ingredients.

"When you pour soda over ice cream, the soda makes its bubbles as it usually does. But these bubbles don't just pop; they are held in place and stabilized by the thickening agents in the ice cream. You get a glass full of thick ice cream soda foam. If you add the ice cream after the soda, most of those soda bubbles have already formed and popped before the thickening agents can get to work," according to "A Moment of Science" on WIFU (Indiana Public Media).

Meteor Day

An explosion lit up the sky on June 30, 1908, over Siberia. Visible for hundreds of miles, the event is attributed to a meteor and is referred to as the "Siberian Explosion." The same event is also referred to as the "Tunguska event," as the meteor is thought to have exploded over the Tunguska River.

"Detonating with an estimated power 1,000 times greater than the atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima, the Tunguska event leveled trees over 40 kilometers away and shook the ground in a tremendous earthquake," according to NASA.

* Camp out under the stars and look for shooting stars. Check HubbleSite's Tonight's Sky for clues on what you might see.

Social Media Day

Every day feels like social media day when you connect with friends via a social media site on a computer or smart phone. The good folks at Mashable created Social Media Day to "celebrate the revolution of media becoming social." They encourage users to meet up to celebrate. Are you willing to take your social media relationships to the next level? Or are you just fine with having BFFs you've never met IRL? The funny thing is, for people using social media daily is just like using the phone -- it's become ordinary and routine. It might feel more revolutionary to stop using social media.

* Socialbakers estimates Facebook will reach 1 billion users between June and July 2012

* Approximately 46 million Americans 12 and older now check their social media sites and services several times every day, according to Edison Research.

You reveal a lot with your handshake. Are you extroverted, expressive, shy or neurotic? According to a University of Alabama study, your handshake provides a tactile way to read you. Before you extend your hand during the next social, professional or diplomatic event, consider your own handshake. Do you have a firm grip? Is your hand a comfortable temperature and is it dry? Do you keep eye contact?

Miryam S. Roddy of Brody Communications advises everyone to practices their handshakes on National Handshake Day, occurring on the last Thursday in June annually. Brody Communications offers these tips for an effective handshake:

* Use eye contact

* Be firm but painless

* You should shake hands for about three seconds

* Take only two or three "pumps"

* Start and stop crisply

* Don't last through the entire introduction

National Ice Cream Soda Day

A scoop of ice cream, flavored syrup and milk, (a.k.a. the ice cream soda) dates back to 1876 in Philadelphia, thanks to a shop with an ice cream soda fountain, according to "The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink." Wax nostalgic about soda fountains by watching "Back to the Future," "Pleasantville," or "Grease."

Or make your own with some vanilla ice cream and soda. But be aware, plopping a scoop or two of ice cream in a glass of soda won't create the same foaming effect as re-ordering the ingredients.

"When you pour soda over ice cream, the soda makes its bubbles as it usually does. But these bubbles don't just pop; they are held in place and stabilized by the thickening agents in the ice cream. You get a glass full of thick ice cream soda foam. If you add the ice cream after the soda, most of those soda bubbles have already formed and popped before the thickening agents can get to work," according to "A Moment of Science" on WIFU (Indiana Public Media).

Meteor Day

An explosion lit up the sky on June 30, 1908, over Siberia. Visible for hundreds of miles, the event is attributed to a meteor and is referred to as the "Siberian Explosion." The same event is also referred to as the "Tunguska event," as the meteor is thought to have exploded over the Tunguska River.

"Detonating with an estimated power 1,000 times greater than the atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima, the Tunguska event leveled trees over 40 kilometers away and shook the ground in a tremendous earthquake," according to NASA.

* Camp out under the stars and look for shooting stars. Check HubbleSite's Tonight's Sky for clues on what you might see.

Social Media Day

Every day feels like social media day when you connect with friends via a social media site on a computer or smart phone. The good folks at Mashable created Social Media Day to "celebrate the revolution of media becoming social." They encourage users to meet up to celebrate. Are you willing to take your social media relationships to the next level? Or are you just fine with having BFFs you've never met IRL? The funny thing is, for people using social media daily is just like using the phone -- it's become ordinary and routine. It might feel more revolutionary to stop using social media.

* Socialbakers estimates Facebook will reach 1 billion users between June and July 2012

* Approximately 46 million Americans 12 and older now check their social media sites and services several times every day, according to Edison Research.

On the surface, it seems like it. Who doesn't like getting free apps? When you look deeper, though, you realize that the reason there are so many free Android apps is one of the same reasons Android apps tend to be ugly: The extremely low barrier to entry.

Undiscriminating taste

As I explained in that article, it's a lot easier to get an app on the Android Market than it is to get one on the App Store. First, it costs less: A one-time fee of $25, plus $20 to sell paid apps, gives you Android Market access for life, compared to $99 per year for the App Store.

Second, the skills that it requires aren't as specialized. iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps are written in Objective-C using the Cocoa libraries, and are basically the only things in the world that use them. Meanwhile, Android uses Java. Java is extremely common, is taught in most colleges' programming courses, and is relatively easy to learn and to work with.

And third, the Android Market doesn't have any kind of approval process. To get on the App Store, your app has to be reviewed and approved by Apple, and screened to make sure it's not malware. In contrast, anything can be put on the Android Market. And while Google removes malware once it's found, its biggest defense is that apps have to ask permission to do anything to your phone. So if an app doesn't request phone privileges up-front, it can't call 900 numbers while you sleep (or something).

Caveat emptor?

For the record, I think Android's low barrier to entry is a good thing. It means more people can get started writing apps for it, or even do so on the side as a hobby. And not needing permission to upload an app means that app developers can get instant feedback, and can update their apps whenever they like. I even like the "requesting permission" thing, since it feels more respectful and less Big Brother-y than letting Apple control everything that goes on my phone. (This short, animated video on "trusted computing" explains what I mean.)

The thing is, Android's number of free apps isn't a feature, per se. It's a symptom, of Android's low barrier to entry. A lot of those free "apps" are wallpapers, ringtones, puzzle games featuring copyrighted characters, or even unfinished, personal projects. There is actually an app on the Market called This Is A Test, and its best feature may be its funny reviews. ("I can now breathe underwater! Thanks to this app!")

So the point isn't that free apps are bad, or that the Android Market is necessarily worse for users or developers than the iTunes App Store is. The point is that there's a reason for Android's inflated number of free apps, and it's not really something to brag about.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

On the surface, it seems like it. Who doesn't like getting free apps? When you look deeper, though, you realize that the reason there are so many free Android apps is one of the same reasons Android apps tend to be ugly: The extremely low barrier to entry.

Undiscriminating taste

As I explained in that article, it's a lot easier to get an app on the Android Market than it is to get one on the App Store. First, it costs less: A one-time fee of $25, plus $20 to sell paid apps, gives you Android Market access for life, compared to $99 per year for the App Store.

Second, the skills that it requires aren't as specialized. iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps are written in Objective-C using the Cocoa libraries, and are basically the only things in the world that use them. Meanwhile, Android uses Java. Java is extremely common, is taught in most colleges' programming courses, and is relatively easy to learn and to work with.

And third, the Android Market doesn't have any kind of approval process. To get on the App Store, your app has to be reviewed and approved by Apple, and screened to make sure it's not malware. In contrast, anything can be put on the Android Market. And while Google removes malware once it's found, its biggest defense is that apps have to ask permission to do anything to your phone. So if an app doesn't request phone privileges up-front, it can't call 900 numbers while you sleep (or something).

Caveat emptor?

For the record, I think Android's low barrier to entry is a good thing. It means more people can get started writing apps for it, or even do so on the side as a hobby. And not needing permission to upload an app means that app developers can get instant feedback, and can update their apps whenever they like. I even like the "requesting permission" thing, since it feels more respectful and less Big Brother-y than letting Apple control everything that goes on my phone. (This short, animated video on "trusted computing" explains what I mean.)

The thing is, Android's number of free apps isn't a feature, per se. It's a symptom, of Android's low barrier to entry. A lot of those free "apps" are wallpapers, ringtones, puzzle games featuring copyrighted characters, or even unfinished, personal projects. There is actually an app on the Market called This Is A Test, and its best feature may be its funny reviews. ("I can now breathe underwater! Thanks to this app!")

So the point isn't that free apps are bad, or that the Android Market is necessarily worse for users or developers than the iTunes App Store is. The point is that there's a reason for Android's inflated number of free apps, and it's not really something to brag about.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

High five to the New York Metro North train employee who asked the loud, offensive cell phone user to tone it down. Thumbs down to the cell phone user who informed the train employee that she was "too well educated" to be asked to quiet down and stop using the F-bomb. Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

The NY train passenger was caught on cell phone ranting to the train employee who had asked her to quiet down. Numerous times, the rider repeated that she was not "some little hoodlum". That's a bizarre and slanderous comment to make about kids. Kids aren't the only people who inappropriately use cell phones. Clearly, from her use of the f-bomb, kids aren't the only ones to use foul language. Kids learn bad habits from adults.

Several times, the woman refers to herself as a well-educated woman. She rudely asks if the train employee is aware of how many schools she's been to. Vulgar cursing and an ivy league education make strange bedfellows. Even in plebeian high schools, cursing is verboten. It's unfair expect to have better behavior than adults. My grandfather always said that you could tell how cultured a person was by the amount or lack of cursing in their vocabulary.

Regardless of how well-educated she is, the woman seems to have missed the lectures on common sense and common courtesy. She's basically saying, "I am educated, therefore the rules don't apply to me; actually, the reverse is true. The rules apply to you, even more so because you have learned how to communicate properly.

You can watch in the video how rude and obnoxious the woman is even when confronting the train attendant. Did she learn nothing about problem-solving at her many schools? Children are taught in preschool not to scream and abuse each other when settling minor playground differences. Sounds like "well-educated woman" needs to go back to the basics.

It's good to see public transportation employees cracking down on loud cell phone users. Another woman was escorted off a train when she talked for 16 hours in a loud, carrying voice. I screamed with laughter at the description of riding with 16-hour-talker Lakeysha Beard: like being in "the fifth circle of hell". No wonder everyone cheered when authorities decided to "throw mama from the train." Danny Devito and Billy Crystal would have loved it.

Some of us parents are scrupulous about behavior expectations for our children in public. We don't allow our children to be loud, disruptive or disrespectful. We expect them to speak in a reasonable tone. Then along comes some adult who talks like a sailor and babbles loudly and incessantly. The only good thing that can be said is that it provides a good negative example. I always tell my kids: "See that? That's how I don't want you to act."

People who talk loudly on cell phones or in public are generally exhibitionists. They want everyone to hear their conversations. They crave attention. I like people well enough, but I'm not that interested in my fellow man that I want to hear every detail of their conversation. I'm one of those people who get annoyed with public displays of private issues. It makes me want to smash the cell phone and plug the yap-hole with an apple.

"Well-educated woman" was fortunate in that she chose a patient, professional train attendant to rant to. I'm sure the rest of the passengers wanted to launch her bodily from the train on her well-educated rear end.

Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes from 22 years parenting four children and 25 years teaching K-8, special needs, communication, adult education and homeschool.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

I don't mean "fail" as in "perform badly." In a world where Google's Android operating system powered the only "tablet" devices, they'd be magical and best-selling. But this is not that world. The iPad is the elephant in the room, and it dominates both buyers' and app developers' preferences.

By "fail," what I mean is that they're failures in the marketplace. The first "real" Android tablet to sell, the Xoom, was basically a flop. And the only one to make headlines or sell out these days is the Asus Transformer, which (perhaps not coincidentally) is also the cheapest Android tablet, at $399.

You probably already know the differences between the various tablets; how Android tablets have roughly equal specs to the iPad, and usually have some feature or another that it lacks, but don't have its 65,000 apps. This isn't about those differences. What it is about, is what the "tablet market" is like, and which markets it isn't like.

Confused? Let me explain.

A tale of two markets

Okay, imagine a market that's divided into two segments. One is an exclusive, super-profitable, high-end segment that's basically owned by one company. The other is the much larger low end, where the products are commodity items that compete with each other on price. Whether you're thinking that sounds like the smartphone market or the home computer market, you're right.

This is the market a lot of people seem to think the "tablet market" either is, or will become. Personally, though, having lived through (and watched) the game console boom of the '90s, I think that it's more like that market.

Start the Wayback Machine

In the early-to-mid '90s, Nintendo and Sega were selling some popular name-brand products, the Super NES and the Genesis (or Mega Drive outside North America). These game consoles were middling expensive gadgets that were basically toys, but were selling like hotcakes to people who wanted one.

Other companies saw this booming "game console market" and thought, "I've gotta get me some of that." But even companies that were successful in other markets failed to make a dent. Remember the Apple Pippin? No? Well, neither does almost anyone else. Not until Sony's PlayStation did anyone else get their foot in the door, and Sony had enormous price and technology advantages on its side.

So, to recap: We have a "market" that consists of a powerful, name-brand product that people ask for by name, that is designed to run games (or apps) that work on it and nothing else. And on the other hand, we have third-party wannabes that play hardly any games (or apps), and that may have some kind of technological gimmick but often cost more and are harder to find. Sound familiar?

The tablet makers' dilemma

The problem for companies like Samsung and Motorola is that they can't just enter the "tablet market" on a lark, the way Philips built the CD-i. They have to make tablets, because the iPad has shown them that that's where the future is. It's eating away PC hardware sales, and everyone who tries one loves it.

Can Android tablet makers succeed at this gamble? I think it's more likely that someone will come out of left field and surprise us. Like Barnes and Noble ... or Amazon.com.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Yet another case in which the Internet and social medium allows people more opportunities to get into trouble occurred in Great Britain where a juror was jailed for contempt for contacting a defendant via Facebook.

Joanne Fraill, a juror in a multimillion-pound case taking place at a High Court in London, apparently chatted on Facebook with Jamie Steward, a defendant in the trial. It is unknown whether they knew one another before the trial or made contact after the trial began.

In any event, the trial collapsed in a mistrial and Justice Igor Judge was compelled to sentence Fraill to eight months in jail. Steward was given a two-month suspended sentence.

There will doubtless be more stories along these lines thanks to the capability of people to contact anyone else anywhere in the world thanks to modern Internet based communications. While the Internet has created great benefits for the world, it is a tool and tools can be used for less than beneficial purposes as well.

Whether it is Anthony Weiner posting pictures of his privates to strangers via twitter or Joanne Fraill making what she thought was an innocent conversation with a person she was not allowed to make contact with, the Internet and social media provides more opportunity for human folly.

In times past, someone like Weiner would have to waylay people in alleys and flash them. Fraill would have to contact Steward by phone or even in person. Both take more personal effort than just pointing and clicking.

This suggest that many people are sorely lacking in something that is not taught at any schools if any, that being Internet etiquette. What is intuitively obvious to most people seems to have escaped folks like Weiner and Fraill. Just because something is easy to do, thanks to computer based communications, it does not follow it should necessarily be done.

Weiner has the rest of his life and Fraill the next eight months to contemplate the consequences of their actions. But perhaps there really needs to be some sort of systematic way of teaching people what happens when they use social media in ways that it ought not to be used. Fewer instances like what happened with Weiner and Fraill would happen therefore.

COMMENTARY | Imagine a trip by train between Boston and Washington in three hours. Or a faster one from San Francisco to Los Angeles, in which you're meeting with colleagues instead of sitting in a cramped airplane seat, spilling coffee on your laptop?

That's the vision of high-speed rail proponents, who see it as the future of mass transportation and one solution to unemployment and environmental problems.

But bipartisan political bickering seems to be throwing new roadblocks at HSR. Because of the concerns and uncertainties being raised by both those supporting and opposing HSR, it may be questionable whether sufficient funding for all systems can be secured.

Severe economic troubles confront the nation and as a result, HSR projects that had already been approved have either been canceled or face severe funding challenges. Florida's Republican Gov. Rick Scott refused to accept federal funds for his state's proposal, essentially killing the project. Republican Scott Walker of Wisconsin also refused federal funds but then changed his mind and tried to get the funds that Florida rejected. Virginia's Gov. Robert McDonnell refused to even apply for federal funds.

Although there was a rush from others to secure the money given up by those states, even projects that have strong local support face political opposition that may prevent those visions from being realized. As an example, take California's proposed 800-mile HSR project, in which electric powered trains will whisk passengers at speeds of up to 220 mph across the state.

The project enjoyed bipartisan support not only from Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, but also from powerful Republicans like Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and current House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, who represents a District (Bakersfield) desperate for economic good news.

But McCarthy has changed his mind about HSR and voiced his opposition numerous times. He has joined with others (H.R. 6403) to try to rescind federal funding for the project and to divert already approved funds to highway projects.

The opposition appears bipartisan as well, not merely the typical posturing between Republicans and Democrats. State Senator Alan Lowenthal, D- Long Beach, who lists himself as an HSR supporter, has raised several objections, most notably the decision to begin rail construction between Fresno and Bakersfield instead of, say, Long Beach, where ridership would presumably be impacted much sooner.

A scathing report released by California's Legislative Analyst's Office not only questioned the initial construction site, but also blasted the California High-Speed Rail Authority as being incompetent and mismanaging the project. The LAO called for the entire project to be transferred to the state Department of Transportation and that federal funding contracts be renegotiated to allow for further study, despite rapidly approaching construction deadlines in those contracts.

The CHSRA and other supporters have fought back, particularly targeting the LAO report as inaccurate. However, all of this political noise and uncertainty leads one to wonder if the project will ever get built. Will potential private sector investors back away from the project, fearful that the political will to complete it no longer exists? Will a disgruntled populace, angered at its tax money being wasted by politicians in other areas, give up its initial support for HSR?

Only time will tell, but as federal construction deadlines get closer and closer, does sufficient "time" exist for HSR to succeed?

Yet another case in which the Internet and social medium allows people more opportunities to get into trouble occurred in Great Britain where a juror was jailed for contempt for contacting a defendant via Facebook.

Joanne Fraill, a juror in a multimillion-pound case taking place at a High Court in London, apparently chatted on Facebook with Jamie Steward, a defendant in the trial. It is unknown whether they knew one another before the trial or made contact after the trial began.

In any event, the trial collapsed in a mistrial and Justice Igor Judge was compelled to sentence Fraill to eight months in jail. Steward was given a two-month suspended sentence.

There will doubtless be more stories along these lines thanks to the capability of people to contact anyone else anywhere in the world thanks to modern Internet based communications. While the Internet has created great benefits for the world, it is a tool and tools can be used for less than beneficial purposes as well.

Whether it is Anthony Weiner posting pictures of his privates to strangers via twitter or Joanne Fraill making what she thought was an innocent conversation with a person she was not allowed to make contact with, the Internet and social media provides more opportunity for human folly.

In times past, someone like Weiner would have to waylay people in alleys and flash them. Fraill would have to contact Steward by phone or even in person. Both take more personal effort than just pointing and clicking.

This suggest that many people are sorely lacking in something that is not taught at any schools if any, that being Internet etiquette. What is intuitively obvious to most people seems to have escaped folks like Weiner and Fraill. Just because something is easy to do, thanks to computer based communications, it does not follow it should necessarily be done.

Weiner has the rest of his life and Fraill the next eight months to contemplate the consequences of their actions. But perhaps there really needs to be some sort of systematic way of teaching people what happens when they use social media in ways that it ought not to be used. Fewer instances like what happened with Weiner and Fraill would happen therefore.

COMMENTARY | Robin Williams likes the video game character Zelda so much that he named his daughter after her. Apparently, the 21-year-old Zelda Williams doesn't mind. They recently appeared together in a commercial for Nintendo, in which Zelda asks her father, "Are you mixing me up with Princess Zelda again?" If you think that's a little strange, here are five other celebrity children with names that might be a bit unusual.

Jason Lee's son Pilot Inspektor

I like Jason Lee, but I wonder what he was thinking when he named his son Pilot Inspektor. Maybe he thinks by naming him something so different he'll have to be one tough kid to rise above the teasing he'll get while growing up. Apparently, when Jason and Pilot's mother, Beth, heard a song by the band Grandaddy, she came up with the name. Lee said that the opening track, "He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot" blew his mind. Lee's friend, the younger brother of Danny Masterson, came up with his middle name, Inspektor.

Tu Morrow

Rob Morrow (of "Northern Exposure" fame) and wife Debbon Ayer named their daughter Tu. Yes, she is Tu Morrow. Rob told People, "it's a family tradition" for his wife. Ayer's full name is "debonaire." Let's hope Rob is joking when he talks about naming his son Bone.

Jermajesty

Perhaps father Jermaine Jackson was looking for a little more of the spotlight on himself when he named his son Jermajesty. Considering that two of his nephews are named Prince and Blanket, maybe Jermajesty doesn't sound all that bad. On second thought, yes it does. Even uncles Tito, Jackie and Marlon are not too pleased about it, according to Bark + Bite.

Camera

Back in 1986, famous tennis player and activist Arthur Ashe named his newborn daughter Camera. He wasn't trying to come up with an original version of Tamera or even Cameron. He named her Camera because his wife Jeanne was a photographer. I guess it could have been worse: What if her mother had been a nurse? Stethoscope or Bed Pan comes to mind. Phew.

Audio Science

I'm a bit baffled with the explanation that Shannyn Sossaman gave for naming her baby Audio Science. She said she and her boyfriend, Dallas Clayton, "wanted a word and not a name," so Dallas read through the dictionary several times, according to Yahoo! Shine. At first they came up with the name Science but became worried that it "might get shortened to Sci." Somehow, I think that might have been the least of their worries. Good luck, Audio Science; in 2024 you'll finally have the option to change your name. How about Bob?

After hearing some of these strange baby names, naming your daughter after the beautiful video game princess doesn't sound so bizarre. The similar sounding name Zelde is a Yiddish word that means "happiness." Let's hope that all of these original names bring happiness to those uniquely named celebrity children instead of strife.

During the 2008 election, we saw the proliferation of social media in politics. Then-Senator Barack Obama was the trail blazer utilizing social media websites like Facebook to connect with voters. Obama also recruited savvy tech moguls to spearhead his social media campaign. As a result the Obama campaign was able to mobilize young voters, who for many were first time voters.

The Obama administration is taking it one step further in preparation for the 2012 election by appointing Jesse Lee, Director of Progressive Media & Online Response. Lee will be responsible for coordinating rapid response to negative stories and fostering relations with the online community, according to the Huffington Post . The move will likely give President Obama a leg up in terms of online engagement with voters.

2012 Candidates Embracing Social Media

Candidates running in the 2012 election are jumping on the bandwagon and embracing social media. Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty (R) announced his bid for president by releasing a video on YouTube.

Presidential candidate Pawlenty stated, he unlike President Obama '" has the courage to face America's challenges. Mitt Romney posted a tweet announcing his candidacy, while President Obama sent a digital video to 13 million supporters who helped elect him 2008.

Candidates can no longer deny the power of online social engagement. Social media has the power to make or break campaigns. That is evident with the recent sexting scandal involving New York Congressman Anthony Weiner. Social media can be a candidate's best ally or opponent depending on how a candidate uses it to engage with others.

Candidates Play Catch Up Online

It's no doubt that social media contributed to the success of President Obama's campaign in 2008. Social media helped Obama raise awareness and create excitement around his campaign. The reality for most candidates casting their bid for the 2012 presidential election is they will have to play catch up when it comes to engaging voters online.

As social media matures, there will be an even greater need for candidates to engage with voters in more meaningful ways. For candidates who don't have a national presence, social media may be there saving grace. Candidates can engage voters online and implement a call to action through websites like Facebook and Twitter. Politicians can also produce videos for YouTube that have the potential for going viral. Candidates can also use Foursquare to "check in" while on the campaign trail. When it comes to online social engagement, candidates will have to either stay in step with the times or risk falling behind.

COMMENTARY | Robin Williams likes the video game character Zelda so much that he named his daughter after her. Apparently, the 21-year-old Zelda Williams doesn't mind. They recently appeared together in a commercial for Nintendo, in which Zelda asks her father, "Are you mixing me up with Princess Zelda again?" If you think that's a little strange, here are five other celebrity children with names that might be a bit unusual.

Jason Lee's son Pilot Inspektor

I like Jason Lee, but I wonder what he was thinking when he named his son Pilot Inspektor. Maybe he thinks by naming him something so different he'll have to be one tough kid to rise above the teasing he'll get while growing up. Apparently, when Jason and Pilot's mother, Beth, heard a song by the band Grandaddy, she came up with the name. Lee said that the opening track, "He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot" blew his mind. Lee's friend, the younger brother of Danny Masterson, came up with his middle name, Inspektor.

Tu Morrow

Rob Morrow (of "Northern Exposure" fame) and wife Debbon Ayer named their daughter Tu. Yes, she is Tu Morrow. Rob told People, "it's a family tradition" for his wife. Ayer's full name is "debonaire." Let's hope Rob is joking when he talks about naming his son Bone.

Jermajesty

Perhaps father Jermaine Jackson was looking for a little more of the spotlight on himself when he named his son Jermajesty. Considering that two of his nephews are named Prince and Blanket, maybe Jermajesty doesn't sound all that bad. On second thought, yes it does. Even uncles Tito, Jackie and Marlon are not too pleased about it, according to Bark + Bite.

Camera

Back in 1986, famous tennis player and activist Arthur Ashe named his newborn daughter Camera. He wasn't trying to come up with an original version of Tamera or even Cameron. He named her Camera because his wife Jeanne was a photographer. I guess it could have been worse: What if her mother had been a nurse? Stethoscope or Bed Pan comes to mind. Phew.

Audio Science

I'm a bit baffled with the explanation that Shannyn Sossaman gave for naming her baby Audio Science. She said she and her boyfriend, Dallas Clayton, "wanted a word and not a name," so Dallas read through the dictionary several times, according to Yahoo! Shine. At first they came up with the name Science but became worried that it "might get shortened to Sci." Somehow, I think that might have been the least of their worries. Good luck, Audio Science; in 2024 you'll finally have the option to change your name. How about Bob?

After hearing some of these strange baby names, naming your daughter after the beautiful video game princess doesn't sound so bizarre. The similar sounding name Zelde is a Yiddish word that means "happiness." Let's hope that all of these original names bring happiness to those uniquely named celebrity children instead of strife.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

COMMENTARY | In a progression that's all too familiar, Anthony Weiner resigned today after a scandal involving lewd and sexually explicit internet communications with several women.

The scandal began when Weiner accidentally posted a suggestive photo to his public Twitter feed instead of sending it as a private message to a single recipient. Weiner maintained that his accounts had been hacked, only to confess several days later

In the days before and after his confession, more pictures came to light. Several additional women came forward saying that they, too, had participated in racy text or Twitter exchanges with Representative Weiner, and in some cases, had been asked by him to lie about the exchanges.

Defiantly insisting that he would not resign, Weiner finally gave in over intense pressure from the media, from former political allies and from women touched by the scandal.

Tweet, lie, confess, resign. It's a scenario we've seen in one form or another from celebrities and politicians on both sides of the fence: Tiger Woods, Jesse James, Mark Sanford, John Edwards, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The unifying feature behind their downfall is not the cheating, but the lying.

While no one would defend cheating as moral behavior, it's the lies and arrogance that destroyed public faith in these men. A man who will lie for personal gain will lie for political gain. A man who will lie to his wife, his colleagues and his constituents will lie to anyone and everyone because he already has.

If Weiner had not lied, there would be no headlines from ex-girlfriends and porn stars saying that he pressured them and betrayed their trust. If Weiner had not lied, it is possible that he could have been forgiven for his error and kept his job. If Weiner had not lied, he could have spared his party, his constituents and the rest of us from two weeks or relentlessly salacious headlines. He might even have spared himself the endless litany of Weiner jokes.

But in the end, that's not what happened. Weiner lied because he was arrogant. He lied because he was afraid. And he lied because it seemed politically expedient at the time. And in so doing, he lost his career, his political future and every shred of public respect. It remains to be seen whether he will lose his marriage.

We can only hope that former Rep. Weiner will heed this painful wake-up call in time to set his life in order and do the painful but necessary work to redeem himself in the eyes of his wife. As for redeeming himself in the eyes of the country, that ship has already sailed, and Weiner wasn't on it.

COMMENTARY | Congressman Anthony Weiner held a press conference Thursday to announce his resignation from office. Since graduation from State University of New York, Weiner has worked in various aspects of New York politics. According to CNN, he was first elected to the House in 1998 and has been a strong liberal voice for the Democratic 9th district, which includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens. At only 46, it is probably safe to say that regardless of this scandal, he is not done with politics. Why he took the path he did is hard to understand, though. Not only was he on a fast track career-wise, he was not unfamiliar with social networking. Throughout his career, he used it to his advantage; unfortunately, he failed to see the danger signs.

Political suicide

While Weiner was certainly not the first politician to be brought to this point due to his sexual behavior, Weiner was Twitter's first political casualty. Politicians will use his mistakes as a guide for what not to do. Overall, though, his actions over the past weeks were confusing. It was as if he dared the public to discover his secrets and then followed it up with a string of lies and angry tirades to seal his fate.

As the possible front-runner to succeed New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, his lewd behavior and the lies are a real blow to his supporters.

Speech instead of letter

Weiner stepped to the podium to deliver his resignation before a packed room. He could have simply turned in a letter of resignation and quietly faded into the background, but that is not his style. Instead, he delivered a short speech covering his background and motivations for getting into politics and several apologies. When he officially stated his resignation, the crowd cheered and the hecklers started their taunts. The anger in the room was a surprising addition to this press conference. But Weiner didn't seem too ruffled by it; after all, that is how he often behaved.

To be continued?

Another surprise to the brief public address was Weiner's statement that he hopes to be able to continue the work he was elected to do. I was not the only one who took this as a possible intro to something new; the commentators immediately after his announcement mentioned this interesting twist.

Regardless of this statement, the congressman said, "Unfortunately, the distraction that I have created" has made it "impossible" to continue his work in Congress. The nod he made to continuing in some capacity has many wondering what his plans ultimately will include. He has been in politics a long time, and will most likely attempt to continue.

COMMENTARY | Anthony Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin, returned to the U.S. Wednesday after a period in absentia with her boss, Hillary Clinton. Abedin accompanied Clinton on a diplomatic mission to North Africa while her beleaguered husband turned on a spit of press headlines, public forums discussion, social network postings, and water-cooler conferences.

Congressman Weiner's raunchy tweeting to female "followers" on Twitter has caused an explosion of interest in a scandal that has eclipsed the Democrats' agenda in Congress. For this and other reasons, top Democrats have been pressuring Weiner to resign.

Weiner said earlier this week he was taking a leave of absence to seek counseling or therapeutic help of a type not yet clear. The Mail Online reported that close friends of Weiner have said he was waiting to confer with his wife before making a final decision on whether to resign.

Now, Abedin has returned and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says the couple has been given a chance to discuss. Those discussions may have been a foregone conclusion. The script had likely been written in the oval office and the Democrats' caucus.

President Barack Obama and Pelosi have made clear that resignation is the only way out. After a week of silence, both Democrats have not hesitated to make their feelings known.

It seems now that Weiner's resignation is more important than any of the issues on the Democrats' agenda. At the same time, the public remonstrations against Weiner have chipped away at the dwindling cadre of hard-core supporters.

There was early hope in some quarters that Weiner could survive. At the same time, Republicans calling for Weiner's resignation on moral grounds were criticized as Puritanical fundamentalists.

All that changed as additional photos sent by Weiner to Twitter "followers" emerged, with one "follower" as young as seventeen. Still, one wonders if the sudden outpouring of "outrage" would be so virulent if Weiner had not become a problem for Democrats in other areas.

Weiner criticized Pelosi for not fighting hard enough against the Republican agenda. He's also been critical of President Obama's statements pertaining to Israel and the concessions the president felt Israel should make in the interest of giving the administration a public relations credit in the Arab world.

With Weiner's resignation, his 9th District in Brooklyn and Queens would almost certainly remain Democrat, as a suitable replacement was found.

Ultimately, Weiner's banishment would come cheap. Getting rid of Weiner gets rid of an unpleasant echo in White House foreign policy. Weiner's 2006 attempt to ban the Palestinian Authority from the U.N and his introduction into Congress of the 2007 Saudi Arabia Accountability Act were not admirable traits to the incoming administration.

The Obama White House wants nothing more than to smooth the conflict between America's growing Muslim population and those who believe the religion is incompatible with American values. The marriage of a Jewish American congressman and a Muslim American protege of the Secretary of State was a celebratory event which, in the fairyland of liberal utopias, would serve as a model for America's future.

Aside from the politics, there were two moral issues which felled Weiner. There was the issue of public lying, carried almost to an extreme in days of denial. Then there is the issue of marital infidelity to newlywed Huma Abedin, who is pregnant.

For the New York congressman, keeping the job was always a game he couldn't win. Weiner will resign at a news conference scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT today.

Winning for Weiner now is a matter of keeping his marriage and family together, and that, too, may be another long shot.

Anthony Ventre is a freelance writer who has written for several weekly and daily newspapers, for Demand Studios, and for AOL Online. He is a frequent Yahoo contributor, concentrating in news and financial writing.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

COMMENTARY | As I'm sure you know by now, New York lawmaker Anthony Weiner has been under intense pressure to resign since the news of his online affairs with several women broke over the past week and a half. After initially denying it, the Democratic congressman admitted to sending lewd pictures of himself to at least six different women on Twitter and other social media sites, both before and after he was married.

Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was the first high profile Democrat to call for his resignation and was soon after followed by the number two and three congressional Democrats -- DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schulz and DCCC head Steve Israel. Recently, President Obama has at last broken his silence and upped the pressure for Rep. Weiner to resign. With the country's most powerful Democrats demanding his resignation and Weiner forced into a leave of absence we're left with a tough question:

Granted his actions were horrible and inappropriate; should the Congressman be forced to resign over Weinergate?

The knee-jerk reaction -- particularly with the 2012 elections looming like a dark cloud, is to push the New York congressman out; and Democratic leadership has followed this strategy to the letter. On a strictly legal basis, there's no reason Anthony Weiner should leave his position.

Despite how we usually act, cheating isn't illegal; and according to both he and the 17 year-old girl's family, their relationship -- though creepy, wasn't inappropriate. Then add that 56 percent of his constituency still wants him in office, and the law and our political system seem ready to embrace the congressman with open arms.

Still, American morality isn't completely rotten; and most people think cheating is a pretty nasty thing to do. But, do you consider what Weiner did to really be cheating?

I'm here gonna flatly state that I don't agree with breaking a monogamous commitment in any way, shape, or form. It's one of the worst kind of betrayals.

That said, technology is constantly redefining the definition of cheating. Ten years ago there was no Twitter or Facebook to mistakenly post a naked picture of yourself on. Now they're media juggernauts, capable of costing someone a job, ruining a marriage and staining a political career all in one tide of lewd photos. However, is getting caught "sexting" enough to force one from political office?

Anthony Weiner is just another in a long line of politicians this decade who've been caught up in a sex scandal one way or another; and when compared to his peers over the past decade, his actions seem relatively miniscule.

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford financed his "hikes" and his affair with an Argentinean woman, with taxpayer money. Former U.S. Senator John Edwards admitted to fathering a child with another woman while he was still married; and Nevada Senator John Ensign spent taxpayer money and to keep his affair with an aide quiet.

In their cases there was actual sexual contact with the concubine in question, whereas Rep. Weiner has yet to be found guilty of the same. Also, at the time of this article his wife hasn't left him for his mistakes.

If we decide that his errors were too despicable for him to keep his office, we have to refrain from making one of our country's most frequent mistakes in judging the congressman. Too many of us think celebrities or officials stop being humans once they're status elevates. Stories like Weiner's will be more common as social media establishes its place in American pop culture.

It's my opinion that the Democratic grandstanding is an attempt to repair their image with 2012 looming. What congressman Weiner did was awful, but would it even be a local news story if he were an electrician? For not the first time in human history, morality is at war with the law.